The CITIUS MAG Podcast | A Running + Track and Field Show

Harvard senior Graham Blanks successfully defended his NCAA Division I cross country championship on Saturday, winning the 10,000-meter race in 28:37.2, narrowly edging New Mexico's Habtom Samuel. BYU became the first school since 2002 to win both men's and women's team titles at the same championship. Men's Championship Blanks' Victory: Blanks is the 13th runner in history to defend his title, cementing his legacy on the Thomas Zimmer course. BYU's Team Triumph: The Cougars scored 124 points for their second men's title, led by Casey Clinger's 6th-place finish and Creed Thompson's 12th. All BYU scorers placed in the top 50. Team Standings: Iowa State (137 points) finished second, followed by Arkansas, Wisconsin, and Northern Arizona. Defending champion Oklahoma State placed eighth. Women's Championship Doris Lemngole: The Alabama runner won the 6,000-meter race in 19:21, improving on her runner-up finish from last year. Pamela Kosgei of New Mexico was second in 19:27.8. BYU Women Dominate: The Cougars scored 147 points to win their sixth title, with Lexy Halladay-Lowry finishing as the top scorer in 14th place overall. Team Standings: BYU edged out West Virginia, with Providence, Northern Arizona, and Oregon rounding out the top five. Defending champion NC State finished eighth. Historical Context BYU’s sweep marks the first dual-team victory since Colorado’s achievement in 2002, highlighting their depth and dominance. Blanks joins an elite group of repeat champions in the 86-year history of the NCAA men's cross country race. The Big Picture BYU's historic team wins and standout performances from Blanks and Lemngole underscore the competitiveness and unpredictability of collegiate cross country’s biggest stage.

For the third time in three months, the cross country world will descend upon Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday, and the stakes couldn’t be any higher. 31 men’s teams and 31 women’s teams punched tickets last weekend and a handful of star individuals round out each field. Both team races feature heavy preseason favorites looking to reclaim their top spots after late season losses, while both individual races are deep at the top with a handful of runners eyeing national titles. Fans are planning to pack the course in Madison, and they could be treated to a picture perfect setting with snowfall potentially in the forecast. More information on how to watch the meet, with ESPNU coverage kicking off at 9:30am E.T. Below we break down all four races, with a few sleeper picks to keep an eye on amidst the chaos that is NCAA cross country. You can read our official preview here: https://citiusmag.com/articles/ncaa-division-1-cross-country-championships-2024-preview

“Especially after 36K, I was telling myself, ‘Even if they speed up, I have to go deep today…’ I was telling myself, ‘This is my moment.’” My guest for today's episode is Abdi Nageeye, whose journey in 2024 could only be described as redemption at its finest. The Dutch marathoner and 2021 Olympic silver medalist who just three months ago grappled with his appointment after withdrawing late in the Olympic marathon in Paris, roared back to claim the biggest victory of his career at the TCS New York City Marathon. In a thrilling showdown against one of the strongest fields in race history, Nageeye deployed patience, strategy, and a powerful finishing kick to secure his first World Marathon Major title in 2:07:39 seconds, making history as the first Dutchman and the first European since 1996. To win the New York City Marathon from his self coach training in Eldoret to a race plan honed by years of experience on the course, Abdi turned heartbreak into triumph. We dive into his reflections on Paris, his mental and physical preparation for New York City, and what this victory means for him moving forward. But first, you'll also hear a never before released interview with Abdi from my trip to Kenya in June 2023, where we discussed a bit more of his backstory and upbringing from being born in Somalia to settling in the Netherlands as a refugee and spending time in Syria before finally being adopted by a Dutch family. I initially planned for this to be released last fall, but didn't have a chance to, but I'm now glad it's finally out. It's fun because towards the end of that first interview, I asked him what he wants to accomplish and he finally gets it done. Part one is my interview with him in Kenya and then part two is my interview with him reflecting on New York. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Abdi Nageeye | @abdinageeye on Instagram Time stamps: 2023 Interview live from Eldoret, Kenya: 3:37 - Reflecting on training  5:02 - Why he likes to train in new places, what he enjoys about training in Kenya  9:05 - His backstory + stories from growing up  18:10 - Why he considers Africa to be his home  20:33 - Being embraced by the Netherlands  22:06 - Why shifting to the roads panned out so well for him  25:49 - What he learned from training with athletes like Eliud Kipchoge  28:20 - Future goals for his running career  2024 Interview after winning the NYC Marathon: 34:51 - How training has been going since the NYC Marathon 38:17 - What life has been like since our first interview in 2023 41:00 - Current training setup  43:28 - Paris Olympics marathon experience  47:55 - Thoughts after dropping out of the Olympic marathon  54:44 - NYC Marathon race breakdown  59:03 - The final miles of the race  1:01:03 - Thoughts when Tamirat Tola was closing on him and Evans Chebet 1:02:36 - The point when he knew he was going to win  1:06:13 - Emotions after crossing the finish line  1:08:12 - Looking ahead to future races  1:11:18 - Reflecting on his marathon career so far  SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Chris Chavez and cross country expert Isaac Wood are back to recap conference weekend and preview each regional meet going down across the country this Friday. Join us for our thoughts and predictions on who will qualify for the big dance in Madison, Wisconsin on November 23rd.  You can listen to our last NCAA cross country season check-in episode here. Hosts: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram + Isaac Wood | @isaacew on Instagram  Time stamps: 1:51 - Conference weekend recap  4:34 - Isaac’s biggest takeaways from conference weekend 5:31 - Wake Forest’s men’s team looking strong heading into Regionals 6:59 - Big 12s men’s recap: thoughts on BYU, OSU 11:39 - Big 12s women’s recap: thoughts on BYU, West Virginia 16:05 - Oregon women looking to become a title contender  17:45 - Projected top teams at NCAAs 20:52 - Explanation on how to qualify for NCAAs 22:36 - Auto-qualifiers + at-large predictions: men 30:05 - Auto-qualifiers + at-large predictions: women 35:10 - Regions to pay most attention to on Friday SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia review the second season of the Netflix documentary series, SPRINT. We share our thoughts and analysis on all four episodes and break down the top storylines throughout the season. You can listen to our review of the first season of SPRINT here. Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram + Preet Majithia | @prm_32 on X Time stamps: 1:22 - Season 2 overview: cast, notable athletes missing  3:42 - Season 1 highlights  Episode 1: ALL AMERICAN 5:32 - Noah Lyles 10:21 - Fred Kerley 13:10 - Christian Coleman  15:40 - Gabby Thomas, Dennis Mitchell’s pro group  17:57 - Little focus on athletes’ personalities outside of track  19:48 - Highlights of episode 1 Episode 2: CHANGING OF THE GUARD 20:35 - Jamaican storylines 22:23 - Kishane Thompson, Oblique Seville  25:53 - Shericka Jackson  31:27 - Julien Alfred Episode 3: GOING FOR GOLD: PART 1 33:45 - Series shifts to the Olympics 37:00 - Marcell Jacobs  39:01 - Sha’Carri Richardson, Melissa Jefferson, TeeTee Terry   44:10 - Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce 48:17 - Shericka Jackson  50:24 - Julien Alfred Episode 4: GOING FOR GOLD: PART 2 56:32 - Men’s 100m final  1:02:19 - Kenny Bednarek 1:03:50 - Letsile Tebogo 1:05:10 - Men’s 200m: Noah Lyles getting COVID 1:08:36 - Women’s 200m: Gabby Thomas, Julien Alfred 1:11:32 - How the series ends + U.S. men’s 4x100m relay Final takeaways: 1:14:39 - Parting thoughts and final rating  1:17:53 - What comes next + will there be a Season 3?  SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

“What made me sign on is just how it was pitched: the fastest people in the world. There’s not many leagues that sign you on as contracted racers. That’s new. And I like to be a part of change.” Grand Slam Track has confirmed that Kingston, Jamaica will be one of four cities that will play host to the action in the professional track league's inaugural season. In 2025, the first slam will be held at the national stadium at Independence Park on April 4th, 5th and 6th. Back in June when the league was first announced, Los Angeles was one of the four cities that was announced, but Kingston is the first city confirmed with dates. This is the same stadium that hosts the Racers Grand Prix and the same stadium that is packed for five days when it hosts the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships in March. Grand Slam Track’s events will take place over three days with athletes racing twice. Athletes will receive points for their finishing position in each race and then the athlete with the highest points total after both events will win the slam and the $100,000 grand prize. So what does this mean for the league? Grand Slam Track will have a host city where the Diamond League has not tapped into with one of the most devout track and field fan populations in the world. The fandom around the sprints is a national tradition from the high school to the Olympic level and the league has already invested in Jamaican talent with three Jamaican racers in Roshawn Clark, who will contest the 400m and 400m hurdles; Ackera Nugent, who will run the 100m and 100m hurdles; and Rushell Clayton, who will run the 400m and 400m hurdles. So to get excited about the league and the first slam in Jamaica, we caught up with two-time world championship medalist Rushell Clayton at the Grand Slam Track Racer Summit in Los Angeles. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Rushell Clayton | @rushellclayton on Instagram Time stamps: 6:04 - Excitement for racing in Kingsport for GST 8:06 - Why she decided to sign on with GST 9:32 - When the 400m hurdles event rose to a new level  10:27 - What led to her 5th place finish at the Paris Olympics 12:30 - Chasing after a new 400m PB 13:05 - Thoughts on her competitors  14:21 - Goals for 2025 SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

“We’re kind of on this journey to the marathon. The next logical step is a half marathon. That will be in the new year. We don’t know exactly where yet but we want to go attack a half marathon. That’s what all the training is focused on and that’s why it’s been so fun. Not that the training is easy but it’s the training that comes the most naturally to me.” My guest for today's episode is U.S. Olympian Joe Klecker of the On Athletics Club. He joins us with some news that he’s gearing up for his half marathon debut in early 2025 after a challenging comeback from injury. Joe is back and looking to tackle a new distance with a keen eye on Ryan Hall's American record in the half marathon. While his 2024 outdoor season was sidelined by a torn abductor, he's now fully focused on the 13.1 mile distance. He doesn't say it, but I think all signs point that it will likely be at the Houston Half Marathon in January, which is traditionally perfect weather and very fast. And while he's not quite ready to step away from the track just yet, Joe is already embracing the marathon mindset and this is one step forward to getting to the full distance with a personal best of 12:54 for 5K and 27:07 for 10K.  Joe's incredible speed and dedication are setting him up for a strong entry into the longer distance. So in this episode, we'll hear about his approach to injury recovery, his plans for that debut, all with the guidance of his coach Dathan Ritzenhein and the support of his training partner and Olympic medalist, Hellen Obiri. He also shares why he's hoping for one more team on the track.  Many thanks to New York Road Runners for allowing us to host this conversation in front of an audience at the Citizens Bank stage at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠ Guest: Joe Klecker | ⁠@joe_klecker on Instagram ⁠ Time stamps: 3:43 - Getting to ride on the lead vehicle at the NYC Marathon  5:21 - Thoughts on racing the marathon himself in the future.  5:19 - Thoughts on teammate Hellen Obiri’s build leading into NYC  7:09 - Details on Hellen’s workouts 9:30 - Coming back from injury this summer  11:04 - How his training has evolved since graduating college  12:16 - Future races on the calendar  15:03 - Going after the half marathon American record  17:14 - OAC’s team culture  22:30 - What keeps training exciting  23:37 - How he approaches his future career in the marathon  24:34 - Why track and the marathon feel like different sports  25:48 - Overrated/underrated: training methods 32:51 - Goals for 2025 34:29 - Why now is a good time to shift to the marathon  SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at ⁠WahooFitness.com⁠ OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at ⁠drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

“I think as I run more and more and get more miles on my legs, I'll be able to hang with that lead pack later and later. But I stuck to my guns. I didn't really have a race plan going in other than taking the first few miles to feel it out. Then really just believing that I belonged in that lead pack for as long as I could hang with them.” My guest for today’s episode is Jess McClain, who just wrapped up a heck of a year with an eighth-place finish at the New York City Marathon, running 2:27:19 and finishing as the second American. It was Jess’s first World Marathon Major, and she showed incredible grit, moving steadily from 11th to 8th in the final miles and securing a spot among the top marathoners in the world. As we’ve explored on this show with her in January, Jess’s journey to the marathon stage has been anything but typical. A former Stanford standout who took a hiatus from professional running, she’s reemerged with stunning results. Earlier this year, she finished fourth at the Olympic Marathon Trials, making her the alternate for Team USA and nearly earning a spot at the Paris Olympics. She’s since signed with Brooks and built a strong racing resume, including wins at the USATF Road 10K Championships and a second-place finish at the USATF 20K Championships. Today, we’ll dive into her self-coached approach, her bold comeback, and what drives her heading into 2025. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Jess McClain | @jesstonn Previous episodes with Jess McClain: Jess McClain On Signing With Brooks Running (Again) + Deciding To Return To The Track Jess McClain After Finishing Fourth At The 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials (2:25:46) + How She Did It Self-Coached and Unsponsored | Race Recap  Time stamps: 3:15 - Reflections on her 8th place finish at the NYC Marathon 5:58 - Rediscovering her love for racing 8:03 - Why she decided on racing NYC as her fall marathon  10:34 - Details on her training throughout her build  13:34 - Importance of being grounded outside of running  16:31 - How her training setup has evolved + what she wants to change next  19:39 - How she strikes the balance between working and training 24:01 - Nerves before the race  27:35 - Starting line + first few miles 29:37 - Story about accidentally reversing her bibs 35:49 - Thoughts when the big move was made during the race  43:07 - Feelings after crossing the finish line 45:38 - Looking ahead to future marathons  49:01 - Thoughts on racing a track 10K next year 51:16 - Overrated/underrated: training methods SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

“I’m not in charge of how fit those guys are. No matter how hard I work, they could be working harder, they could be doing something better, they could be more talented. I was trying to take that out. My main goal in this race was just to execute. Execute my race plan, make sure I ran a race that afterward I felt good about. I think I did really well for most of the race.” My guest for today's episode is Conner Mantz, the American Marathoner who just capped off an extraordinary year by setting an American course record at the New York City Marathon. He placed 6th overall in 2:09:00. Conner was the top American as usual and he showed us his relentless competitiveness. He pushed through a conservative start and a fierce mid-race surge led by Evans Chebet, the 2022 New York City marathon champion, that splintered the rest of the field. Conner hung tough and ultimately finished with the fastest closing mile among all of the runners in the top ten. In his young marathoning career, Conner has already established himself as the top American in Boston, Chicago, the Olympic Trials and an 8th place finish at the Olympics. Now he's setting his sights on closing the gap between being the best in America and being among the best in the world. In this episode, we dig into his journey, his strategic approach under coach Ed Eyestone's “deploy, enjoy and destroy” race plan, and how he handles a little bit of friendly competition with training partner Clayton Young. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠ Guest: Conner Mantz | ⁠@connermantz on Instagram⁠ Time stamps: 4:03 - Why he wasn’t satisfied with his performance at the NYC Marathon 5:46 - What would’ve made it a satisfying race  7:43 - Overall fitness heading into the race 8:17 - Best workouts leading into the race  13:07 - Going after the half marathon American record at the Houston Half in 2025 16:09 - Pre-race chat with coach Ed Eyestone: deploy, enjoy, destroy 19:30 - Responding to moves during the race  25:40 - Sharing bottles during the race, Evans Chebet makes his move  34:19 - Clayton catching up to him, snapping back into the race, final few miles 42:40 - Feelings after crossing the finish line  47:27 - Grading his marathons throughout 2024 52:50 - Looking ahead to spring marathons  54:35 - Future training plans with Clayton  58:53 - Thoughts on joining Grand Slam Track as a challenger 1:03:34 - Overrated/underrated: training methods SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at ⁠WahooFitness.com⁠OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at ⁠drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

“I like having new goals and challenges. The marathon feels like almost a different sport. It's like a second career. It’s breathed a lot of life into my training, just having fresh goals all the time.” My guest for today's episode is Sara Vaughn, who just delivered a standout performance at the New York City Marathon where she finished as the top American in sixth place overall running 2:26:56 in a year marked by comebacks. The 38 year old mother of four wasn't about to let a tough season slow her down after battling illness and dropping out of the Chicago Marathon. Just three weeks ago, Sara decided to make a quick pivot and set her sights on New York and it paid off massively. In this episode, she shares a bit about her untraditional journey to the starting line and how she balances elite competition with her family life. We talk about her remarkable rebound, her plans to keep pushing forward and what drives her as a professional runner and mother. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Sara Vaughn | @smevaughn on Instagram Time stamps: 3:09 - Initial reflections from the NYC Marathon 5:01 - Having to drop out of the Chicago Marathon, shifting her focus to the NYC Marathon 6:14 - What her goals were for Chicago, how those goals changed for NYC  8:40 - When things started to click for her in training 10:29 - How her training has changed since starting to work with coach Alistair and Amy Cragg 11:52 - What’s kept her in the sports for so long 15:37 - Racing her daughter Kiki in an 800m 21:12 - What her goals were on the day of the NYC Marathon 22:57 - Thoughts when the big move was made at 1st Ave 24:37 - Reflecting on Jenny Simpson’s marathon 27:58 - Hardest part of the race  28:49 - Crowds during the final part of the race  33:46 - Feelings after crossing the finish line  36:16 - Going after the 2025 World Championships team  36:50 - Answering listener questions SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

“[Coaching] is fulfilling, but it also sincerely does make me better. It makes me a better athlete. Miguel (Marin), just the way that he wanted to get better as a person and as a runner. He was a young person, didn't have life figured out and was still trying to figure himself out. I'm still trying to figure myself out. Just seeing him put the effort into himself that he did. There were so many times that made me be like, ‘I can do this. I can be better and improve upon things about myself and my emotional stability, my mental stability.’ All these things improve just by the relationship that we had.” My guest for today’s episode is CJ Albertson. Just three weeks after setting a personal best of 2:08:17 at the Chicago Marathon, CJ came into the New York City Marathon and delivered another stellar performance, finishing 10th in 2:10:57. CJ's year has been nothing short of extraordinary—top American at both the Boston and Chicago Marathons, a 5th-place finish at the Olympic Trials, and now, another top-10 finish in New York. No American had ever run sub-2:11 marathons so close together, but CJ isn't one to shy away from a challenge. We'll talk about his mindset, his breakout year, and his relentless pursuit of faster times. Plus, CJ also shares a bit about how he was running in memory of Miguel Marin, who was one of his athletes who ran track and cross country at Clovis Community College. The 22-year-old died in a car crash over the weekend. A GoFundMe has been set up to assist with his family’s expenses. You can find the link to it here. Plus, we do our overrated/underrated segment on training elements with CJ to close out the show. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: CJ Albertson | @cjalbertson on Instagram Time stamps: 3:24 - Reflections on his past year of marathoning 8:07 - Which of his marathons was the most satisfying this year  10:14 - How he approached racing both the Chicago and NYC marathons 13:10 - Factors that led to his improvement 15:13 - Hopes for what’s next in his career 22:25 - Race breakdown: 1st Ave 24:51 - Race breakdown: 5th Ave 28:32 - Thoughts on how to close the gap on becoming top American  30:24 - How he hopes to continue improving  36:30 - Race weight + fueling strategy while racing  41:08 - Going after the 2025 World Championships team  50:02 - Reflecting on Miguel Marin, his athlete who just passed away 56:40 - Answering listener questions  1:02:02 - How coaching others makes him a better athlete 1:04:24 - Overrated/underrated: training methods SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

“You never know which build you're pulling from on race day. The most recent build is the most important build and indicator of what you can do on race day, but there's no reason why you can't be pulling from the Paris build, the Chicago build, and the Olympic Trials build. Fitness stacks over years and that lifetime fitness is just getting really, really big for me. I tried to lean into that. I think I did alright.”  Within the past 14 months, Clayton Young and his training partner Conner Mantz have become synonymous with performing in high stakes marathon racing, finishing neck-and-neck at four marathons. Now, most recently at the New York City Marathon, Clayton crossed the finish line in an impressive seventh place finish just 21 seconds behind Conner Mantz, clocking 2:09:21. This year has been nothing short of remarkable for Clayton, from the Olympic Marathon Trials to the Paris Olympics and now New York. We've got episodes with him after each one of those. We decided to keep the tradition alive as we dive into how New York City played out and reflect on Clayton's emotional and triumphant year in marathoning. Plus, we get to thinking about what's next in 2025. Time stamps: 3:46 - Returning to training post-marathon 5:51 - Reflection coming off the NYC Marathon  8:18 - His build leading into NYC: overcoming his achilles injury 11:56 - Pre-race plans with Coach Ed Eyestone 15:19 - Thoughts on the depth of the men’s field 18:57 - Breaking down the first part of the race  22:19 - What happened after crossing the Queensboro Bridge  32:01 - Tracking power (watts) during the race  36:04 - “What ifs” from the race  38:01 - Looking ahead to trying to qualify for the World Championships marathon  42:17 - Future training plans with Conner Mantz  48:08 - How this year transformed his running career  51:10 - Being in the midst of the good ol’ days  56:50 - Underrated/overrated  Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Clayton Young | @_clayton_young_ on Instagram SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In a fitting theme for the city of Broadway, the 53rd edition of the New York City Marathon was all about breakout stars finally getting their time in the spotlight. Both winners of the men’s and women’s elite races in NYC are frequently recurring characters near the front of major races, but neither had completed a signature performance before today.  Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won their first World Marathon Major titles by defeating fields full of former NYC champs, with Nageeye outkicking 2022 champ Evans Chebet down the homestretch and Chepkirui beating 2023 champ Hellen Obiri at her own game with a late surge through Central Park. Time stamps: Women’s race: 2:10 - Breaking down Sheila Chepkirui’s win 5:03 - Hellen Obiri talking a big game + reflecting on her career 13:20 - Kudos to Vivian Cheruiyot for her third place finish 16:10 - Sara Vaughn’s top American performance 19:42 - More top results: Jess McClain, Sharon Lokedi, Kellyn Taylor, Tristan Van Ord, Dakotah Popehn 22:38 - Reflecting on Jenny Simpson’s career Men’s race: 26:47 - Breaking down Abdi Nageeye’s win 31:24 - Evans Chebet’s performance, 30th career marathon  33:18 - More top results: Albert Korir, Tamirat Tola 35:19 - Conner Mantz and Clayton Young’s races 39:45 - Kudos to CJ Albertson More thoughts: 44:27 - 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials  48:40 - Valencia Half Marathon recap 54:50 - What’s ahead on the CITIUS MAG Podcast 56:18 - Sydney Marathon becoming the newest World Marathon Major Mentioned in this episode: Watch: NYC Marathon Watchalong Read: Parting Thoughts From The 2024 NYC Marathon: Abdi Nageeye and Sheila Chepkirui Win + More Listen: 2024 NYC Marathon Pre-Race With Conner Mantz, Clayton Young, Hellen Obiri, Dakotah Popehn, Jess McClain + More Listen: Jenny Simpson Reflects on Her Career from High School to 2019, Shares 2020 Plans and Hopes Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram + Isaac Wood | @isaacew on Instagram SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We opened up The CITIUS MAG Podcast to have ANYONE join us to share their NYC Marathon stories. It’s a rapid-fire, live podcast recording where we don’t know the guests and just want to connect and hear cool stories from the community. Thanks to HOKA for creating a safe and welcoming space for all these people to share their stories with us. The race kicks off on Sunday, November 3rd with the women’s race starting at 8:35am E.T. and the men following at 9:05am E.T. (Don’t forget to set your clock back an hour the night before!) The race will be streamed nationally on ESPN and locally on ABC. You can read our full NYC Marathon preview here. CITIUS MAG is proud to partner with HOKA for our coverage of the 2024 NYC Marathon.

NAZ Elite's Paige Wood (née Stoner), Abby Nichols and Katie Wasserman join us for a live interview ahead of the 2024 NYC Marathon. The race kicks off on Sunday, November 3rd with the women’s race starting at 8:35am E.T. and the men following at 9:05am E.T. (Don’t forget to set your clock back an hour the night before!) The race will be streamed nationally on ESPN and locally on ABC. You can read our full NYC Marathon preview here. CITIUS MAG is proud to partner with HOKA for our coverage of the 2024 NYC Marathon.

"The marathon is the longest event. You have to believe in yourself: 'I can do this.' It gets tough at the end. If you don't have that belief, if you don't believe in your training, it's going to get tough. It's just the mindset that, 'I can do this, but I need to be patient enough so that I can finish strong." Wesley Kiptoo of NAZ Elite sits down with us for a live interview ahead of the 2024 NYC Marathon. He shares about transitioning from college racing to the marathon, his reflections from his debut marathon, how he prepared for the NYC course, and his race plan for tomorrow. The race kicks off on Sunday, November 3rd with the women’s race starting at 8:35am E.T. and the men following at 9:05am E.T. (Don’t forget to set your clock back an hour the night before!) The race will be streamed nationally on ESPN and locally on ABC. You can read our full NYC Marathon preview here. CITIUS MAG is proud to partner with HOKA for our coverage of the 2024 NYC Marathon.

"It's more me against the distance instead of me against the field. That's how I like to think of the marathon." Futsum Zienasellassie of NAZ Elite sits down with us for a live interview ahead of the 2024 NYC Marathon. He shares about how his training block for NYC compared to his training for the U.S. Trials, what it's been like training with teammate Wesley Kiptoo, how he hopes to improve upon his 2:09 PR, and his race plan heading into tomorrow. The race kicks off on Sunday, November 3rd with the women’s race starting at 8:35am E.T. and the men following at 9:05am E.T. (Don’t forget to set your clock back an hour the night before!) The race will be streamed nationally on ESPN and locally on ABC. You can read our full NYC Marathon preview here. CITIUS MAG is proud to partner with HOKA for our coverage of the 2024 NYC Marathon.

"I want to reach the goals that I know I'm capable of reaching. It's going to require me to do things I have not done in the past. I feel like I just kept doing the same thing over and over in the past where I'm just coming top three, top four, top five. Sometimes I was satisfied with that. But I think if you want to be a champion, you can't be satisfied with that." Ahmed Muhamed of NAZ Elite sits down with us for a live interview after winning the 2024 Abbott Dash To The Finish Line 5K in 13:38. The race kicks off on Sunday, November 3rd with the women’s race starting at 8:35am E.T. and the men following at 9:05am E.T. (Don’t forget to set your clock back an hour the night before!) The race will be streamed nationally on ESPN and locally on ABC. You can read our full NYC Marathon preview here. CITIUS MAG is proud to partner with HOKA for our coverage of the 2024 NYC Marathon.

"The pleasure of being a coach is you get to bear witness to the process of what goes on behind-the-scenes. The fans only get to see what people do for a performance, but you get to know what's actually going on, the ups and downs... It makes those great moments mean even more." NAZ Elite's Head Coach Jack Mullaney joins us live in New York to reflect on his first year with the team. Jack shares what he loves most about coaching, his philosophy, what the transition was like going from coaching at the college level to pro level, and what's ahead for the team. The race kicks off on Sunday, November 3rd with the women’s race starting at 8:35am E.T. and the men following at 9:05am E.T. (Don’t forget to set your clock back an hour the night before!) The race will be streamed nationally on ESPN and locally on ABC. You can read our full NYC Marathon preview here. CITIUS MAG is proud to partner with HOKA for our coverage of the 2024 NYC Marathon.

The final World Marathon Major of 2024 is almost here! In a banner year for road running, it’s hard to imagine how anything could top the Olympics, a historic Chicago, or even the early thrills of the U.S. Trials, but NYC has assembled a field full of living legends, rising stars, and fascinating narratives primed to end the year on a high note. Three 2024 Olympic medalists are hitting the five boroughs: Olympic champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia, silver medalist Bashir Abdi of Belgium, and bronze medalist Hellen Obiri of Kenya. Obiri and Tola also happen to be the reigning NYC champions, and Obiri will be trying to win the Boston-New York double for the second straight year. Five other former NYC champions are in the mix (three men and two women), plus a pair of stacked U.S. fields vying to produce top-10 overall finishes… or even higher. Here’s a compilation of our interviews from the NYC Marathon press conference, including Conner Mantz, Clayton Young, Hellen Obiri, Dakotah Popehn, Jenny Simpson, Sharon Lokedi, Evans Chebet and Jess McClain.  Time stamps: 0:05 - Conner Mantz 6:10 - Clayton Young 15:30 - Hellen Obiri 20:17 - Dakotah Popehn 24:29 - Jenny Simpson 34:09 - Sharon Lokedi 40:31 - Evans Chebet 43:35 - Jess McClain Read: 2024 New York City Marathon Insider Notebook: What The Pros Had To Say Ahead Of Sunday’s Race Read: Top Storylines To Watch At The 2024 New York City Marathon SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.